NHTSA (USA)High Risk
At a glance
This page covers 4 recalls, 25 owner complaints, NHTSA crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas.
19–22 mpg combined
10.7–12.4 L/100km
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted. Ranges reflect the 2 tested variants for this model year.
The 2018 to 2020 Volkswagen Atlas received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program for US-market vehicles. The Atlas earned five stars in frontal crash, side crash, and side pole crash tests. It received four stars in rollover testing. NHTSA applies these ratings across model years until a vehicle redesign occurs, so this rating covers the entire 2018 to 2020 range.
5/5 Overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating
For the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas, the most consistent theme across owner complaints involves the forward collision avoidance system and the airbag-related passenger occupant detection system. Owners frequently report the automatic emergency braking activating unexpectedly, triggering hard stops in the absence of an actual obstacle, often at crosswalks, roundabouts, or road markings that appear to confuse the system. Several owners say they've disabled the feature as a result. The passenger seat occupancy sensor draws nearly as many complaints, with owners describing it as unreliable, failing to correctly detect an adult occupant, which affects whether the front passenger airbag deploys. Electrical system complaints round out the pattern, with a handful of owners reporting warning lights, unexpected shutdowns at low speeds, and at least one report of steering seizure tied to rack and pinion failure, though that last issue appears in a single report rather than as a broader trend.
25
Total Complaints
By System
The 2020 Volkswagen Atlas has 4 recalls, the most serious involving two separate airbag failures: corroded door wiring that can delay side airbag deployment in a side impact, and a fault in the passenger seat sensor system that can shut off the front passenger airbag entirely while the seat is occupied.
Both airbag issues leave occupants with reduced protection in a crash. The door wiring corrosion affects the driver and passenger side curtain and side airbags, where a disrupted electrical connection slows the bag from firing at the moment it is needed most. The passenger seat sensor fault is a separate problem in which a wiring error causes the system to read an occupied seat as empty and switch the airbag off, meaning a front-seat passenger would have no airbag protection in a collision.
There is also a tire pressure monitoring concern: a software limitation means the system may fail to detect a sudden simultaneous pressure drop across all four tires, so the driver would receive no warning before the handling of the vehicle is already compromised. Finally, certain Atlas vehicles fitted with accessory side steps are missing a label showing the reduced weight limit that accounts for the added mass of those steps. Without that label, owners have no way of knowing the vehicle's actual load capacity has changed, and overloading can affect braking and stability.
At a glance
We may earn a commission for purchases made through these links.
Driver Assistance
Ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Based on 2 tested variants; worst-case ratings shown.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
What can fail
The passenger air bag detection system's wiring may malfunction, causing the front passenger air bag to turn off even when someone is sitting in that seat.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the detection system sensor mat and wiring harness at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect when air pressure drops in all four tires at the same time, failing to alert you in time.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the tire pressure monitoring system software at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Electrical contacts in the front door wiring harness can corrode, breaking the electrical connection and delaying deployment of the driver or passenger front side airbag during a side impact crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will secure and replace any front door wiring harness showing a fault code at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The vehicle's weight limit label was not updated to account for the added weight of accessory side steps, causing the label to show an inaccurate maximum weight rating.
What the fix does
Dealers will install the corrected weight limit label that reflects the side steps' added weight.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.